"Looking round [the officials] he said: 'We should have corn bread and soya soup as our meal as people take them.'"--Kim Chong-il, reported by KCNA news agency (1998)

North Korean Leader's Soup Diet Gives Rise to People's Loyalty

According to North Korea's KCNA news agency in Pyongang, it all happened one day in January, Chuche 87 (1998), when the Korean people were all out in the forced march to win a final victory.

"That day the great leader Kim Chong-il provided on-the-spot guidance in several fields in Jagang province despite a severe cold weather in the northern region.

"He visited a floating hydro power station and a power station with an earthen and log dam and 55 dwelling houses built by the workers and other people of the province by themselves in the revolutionary spirit of self-reliance and hard work.

"Seeing him busy with on-the-spot guidance, though it was already past the lunch time, a senior official of the province proposed to him to have a meal and rest.

"On hearing this, Kim Chong-il thanked him for the proposal and guided the officials to a coach of a passenger train where he put up and had a lunch with them.

"There were on table for everyone several pieces of corn bread stuffed with vegetable and a bowl of vegetable soya soup.

"Having lumps in their throats, they could not eat.

"Looking round them, he said: 'We should have corn bread and soya soup as our meal as people take them.'

"They were deeply impressed by the noble virtue of the leader who was leading a very simple life like people.

"Kim Chong-il, who always finds his happiness and joy in the people's happiness and joy, would decline everything and have a rice ball or a few boiled potatoes as his meal, while feeling grateful for their unanimous desire and best wishes for his good health and long life.

"Greatly inspired by his noble popular trait, the Korean people are devoting themselves to the socialist economic construction with intense loyalty to him."